![Rockwall Grad First Recipient of James 5:1 Scholarship]()
Anonymous CFT donor awards $40,000 scholarship for Rockwall students to attend University of Texas at Austin
The very first recipient of CFT’s James 1:5 Scholarship is Ryan Lorey of Rockwall. Lorey, a recent graduate of Rockwall Heath High School, will receive a four-year, $40,000 scholarship--the largest scholarship given to one individual by CFT, and one of the largest ever given to a Rockwall student.
“This is a wonderful scholarship, and receiving it is like having a big weight lifted off my shoulders,” said Lorey, 18, who will study electrical and computer engineering at UT-Austin this fall. “A lot of people never go to college because they can’t get financial help. It’s great that such a generous scholarship like this exists, and I cannot thank everyone involved enough for selecting me to receive this.”
The James 1:5 scholarship is made possible by an anonymous donor to Communities Foundation of Texas who made an initial contribution of $150,000 to the fund. The scholarship w ill be awarded every four years to a senior at Rockwall High School, Rockwall Heath High School or Royce City High School who intends to study nursing, engineering, math, computer sciences, technology or business at UT-Austin. CFT awards the scholarships based on scholastic achievement, school and community participation or work history, demonstrated leadership potential, and financial need.
For Ryan, the scholarship arrived during a particularly challenging year. His father died of cancer in March, and two months before that, Ryan’s 21-year-old sister, who has Down Syndrome, suffered a stroke that severely limits her speech. Ryan has spent much of his life caring for his sister, and since her stroke, he’s had to devote even more time to helping her.
"This has been one of the worst years ever, but when we got news of the scholarship, I thought ‘There must be somebody looking out for us’,” Ryan said.
CFT President and CEO, Brent Christopher, says, “We are proud to award this scholarship to a deserving young man like Ryan Lorey. Donors and CFT trustees are dedicated to making a difference across the country in the lives of strong students like Ryan by providing financial assistance.”